Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley isn't looking too far ahead despite sitting in third spot with just a month of football remaining, with the Power boss "not sure what's going to happen" over the next four weeks in terms of how the competition will play out.
Friday's 14-point win over contenders Carlton has the Alberton club level on points with the second-placed Blues, however the Power could fall back to as low as seventh by the end of this weekend.
A loss at Marvel Stadium could've seen Hinkley's side slip to 11th given the tight nature of this year's competition.
The victory over the Blues was Port Adelaide's fourth in five games as they step deeper into a difficult run home, with matches against Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle to come.
Speaking after the Round 20 win, Hinkley said his side is "building", but there are no guarantees on how the rest of the season shapes up.
"I keep saying, wait until the end of the year. I'm not sure what's going to happen between now and the end of the year," Hinkley said.
"The comp is so close. Everyone says it and we all talk about it. It's such a tight margin.
"We know every win is so important. We've got a pretty tough draw, everyone is telling us. We accept the challenge and are going to do our best.
"We've always had some belief. Not many do about us, but we've had a bit of belief and we're trying really hard to continue to improve late in the season," Hinkley said.
"Every team has had a time where they've been a little bit off. We've had a time where we've been a little bit off. We've won four of our last five now.
"We're building, but you're going to have to keep building."
The win over Carlton will spark further confidence in the Power, who return home to face premiership favourites Sydney at Adelaide Oval next Saturday.
Still looking to prove themselves to external critics, Hinkley sees the club's final four games as "perfect preparation" for a potential finals series.
"I hope (it excites the team), because we've got no choice," Hinkley said of the club's run home before September. "That's the challenges we face, and we look forward to them.
"We want to be a good team, we want to be one of the best teams in the comp.
"A lot of people have said we've probably got the perfect preparation to go through the back five games of the year where we're going to find out whether we're worthy.
"That will be really nice once we get that answer.
"It's so tight. Lost next week and we're probably 10th, it's just what happens. I can look at the ladder tonight, but after tonight I've got to hide it."
Wins for Brisbane, Fremantle, GWS and Geelong would each lead to the Power falling down the ladder this weekend.
While unlikely, losses for all five would have Port Adelaide sitting in third at the end of a round for the fourth time in 2024.